Apprentices are the most likely to go on to sustained positive destinations (in employment, education or both), and have their wages grow faster than other FE learners, according to new statistics from the Department for Education published today.

The survey on outcome-based success measures in further education, which considered statistics from academic years 2013-14 to 2016-17, also revealed that learners on benefits during their studies were almost a third less likely to achieve a sustained positive destination than those not on benefits.

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The data revealed:

Ninety-one per cent of apprentices went on to sustained positive destinations

Apprentices are more likely to go on to a sustained positive destination than those in FE and skills or on a traineeship, the data released by the DfE has revealed.

One million learners achieved a learning aim funded by the ESFA in the academic year 2016-17 – 76 per cent of them had sustained positive destination into either employment or learning, or both.

Ninety-one per cent of those on apprenticeships went on to sustained positive destinations, compared with 62 per cent of those in traineeships. 

Wages grow faster for apprenticeship achievers 

At most levels, wages grow faster for apprenticeship achievers than FE and skills achievers.

One year after study, those who completed an intermediate apprenticeship could be earning £13,750, which then rises to £18,230 after five years – an increase of £4,480. After one year people who learned in FE and skills could be earning £19,030, which then increases to £22,230 after five years – an increase of £3,200. 

Learners on benefits 

A quarter (25 per cent) of learners were on benefits at the start of their learning. Fifty-four per cent went on to a sustained positive destination, which is 30 percentage points lower than those who weren’t on benefits at the start of learning (84 per cent). 

Forty-three per cent went into sustained employment (32 percentage points lower than learners not on benefits) and 16 per cent went into sustained learning (10 percentage points lower than learners not on benefits).

BAME learners

Around 248,000 learners are from a black, Asian or minority ethnicity (BAME) background, which represents 24 per cent of all learners that achieved their learning aim in 2016-17. 

Seventy-one per cent of BAME learners sustained a positive destination rate, which is 8 percentage points lower than their non-BAME counterparts.

BAME learners are more likely to go into sustained education than their non-BAME peers  – with 33 per cent of BAME learners going into sustained education compared with 21 per cent of non-BAME students. 

However, when it came to sustained employment, 52 per cent of BAME learners went into sustained employment compared with 71 per cent of non-BAME learners.

Community learning

A total of 457,000 community learners achieved their aim in 2016-17 –  66 per cent had a sustained positive destination, while a further 15 per cent had a positive destination that was not sustained.

Fifty-seven per cent were in sustained employment and 19 per cent were in sustained learning. But 42 per cent were in sustained or non-sustained learning.